Well-known architect and Arlington Heights Village Board Trustee candidate Jim Tinaglia announced late Thursday that he has decided to endorse candidate and President Pro Tem Tom Hayes for Village President of Arlington Heights. After the Women’s League of Voters forum last Saturday, people close to Tinaglia, and Tinaglia himself came to an understanding that Tom Hayes is the better choice regarding an honest, straightforward, trustworthy leader.

In a prepared statement, released Thursday Tinaglia wrote, “The last thing the Village of Arlington Heights needs is a contentious board.” Tinaglia stated he believes in respectfully working with other Arlington Heights leaders to get the leadership work done expeditiously to advance and preserve the quality of life in Arlington Heights. In an interview he stated he knows there needs to be improvements in efficiency with how the village legislates and operates, but he believes that having contentious members in leadership would only slow down the process of government. Tinaglia said he’s been on the receiving side, as an architect presenting projects in front of contentious boards. He said it’s not a pleasant experience. He doesn’t want the Arlington Heights Village Board to become one of those type of contentious boards.

Someone from Drake’s camp provided a leaked e-mail regarding Ron Drake’s response to Tinaglia’s endorsement. Drake wrote, “Very few people have enough character to stand on principle and not let their best interests cloud their decision making.” To his supporters, Drake wrote, “All of you have had the courage to stand up and say enough is enough. As you can see it is not easy for some to do.” It’s the attitude of Drake — exposed in his statement “very few people have enough character to stand on principle” — that reveals his antagonistic, negative attitude toward a majority of people, that shows he’s not a team player, and reveals his egotistical plan to rally people behind his campaign; according to the anonymous recipient that forwarded the e-mail to The Cardinal.

Tinaglia provided a real world example of one way to streamline planning and approval on projects — an area where Drake has been critical of the Village of Arlington Heights government. Tinaglia explained that when a business seeks approval, it goes through the analysis of a Design Commission, a Plan Commission, and a Village Board. Each review requires a printout of plans and architectural information. A project Tinaglia is currently working on has made eight printouts for the Design Commission, eleven printouts for the Plan Commission and 20 printouts for the Village Board. The cost for the current project is not yet known, but a recent similar project resulted in printing costs of $2600. He explained that he knows there could be a way to reduce costs to businesses, by depending more on electronic PDF files, rather than hard copy printouts.

Tinaglia believes his experience as an architect gives him the skills to make excellent decisions regarding choice of materials, design, etc. while keeping costs controlled. He made that clear in the Women’s League of Voters forum, as well.

“Tom (Hayes) is the senior Trustee on the board, and President Pro Tem, and for the last 22 years has been an integral part of village leadership. Tom is honest and straightforward and has gained the respect and trust of the community. The definition of leadership is taking the best available and putting it where it is needed most. For these reasons, I wholeheartedly support Tom Hayes for Village President.”

— Jim Tinaglia

In the prepared statement Tinaglia wrote, “I consider myself a team player and have spent a great deal of time serving respectfully with the Arlington Heights Design Commission, Frontier Days Committee, Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce, and the Arlington Aces Soccer organization.” Tinaglia is worried he could take a hit by disappointing the supporters of Village President candidate Ron Drake and a loss of votes resulting from the backlash. Ultimately, he decided to express himself to demonstrate who is the best choice for the community of Arlington Heights. After much thought, and careful consideration, Tinaglia said he believes Tom Hayes is the best choice as a long-time resident of Arlington Heights — a candidate who shares his common goals toward the best for Arlington Heights.

Get updates from The Cardinal ALL NEWS FEEDS on Facebook. Just ‘LIKE’ the ‘Arlington Cardinal Page (become a fan of our page). The updates cover all posts and sub-category posts from The Cardinal — Arlingtoncardinal.com. You can also limit feeds to specific categories. See all of The Cardinal Facebook fan pages at Arlingtoncardinal.com/about/facebook …

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS BREAKING NEWS --The Cardinal -- Arlingtoncardinal.com is a breaking news blog with Arlington Heights & Chicagoland emphasis. Early breaking reports may prove to be inaccurate after follow-up investigation, which may or may not be updated in The Cardinal -- Arlingtoncardinal.com. For in-depth coverage, please also check the following links for network television, cable news networks and Chicago local media coverage ...

SUBMIT CRIME TIPS ...
Anyone having information about serious crime in Arlington Heights should register on CitizenObserver.com and look for the anonymous TIP411 feature, or call Arlington Heights Crime Stoppers at 847-590-STOP (847-590-7867). Callers are guaranteed anonymity and may qualify for a cash reward of up to $1,000. Not a resident of Arlington Heights? Check CitizenObserver.com for availability for your community.

Today - A mix of wintry precipitation this morning. Then mainly rain showers expected this afternoon. High 4C. Winds SW at 15 to 30 km/h. Chance of precip 90%. Snow and ice accumulations less than 2cm.